Keep it Clean With Natural Shampoos
I was over at the Conscious Shopper today and read her April Extreme Challenge. She is committing to no poo (shampoo) for at least a month. The reasoning behind her no shampoo challenge is to avoid potentially harmful chemicals, save $$, and reduce packaging waste. Some my say… WHAT, no shampoo? You’re crazy! But, I actually tried it myself, a few years ago, in an effort to reduce waste. My goal was to use shampoo once per week instead of daily. While my efforts did not last long, as my hair was so oily after 2 days I could not take it anymore, I did end up finding several eco-friendly products.
You can keep your hair clean and help Mother Earth at the same time by choosing an eco-friendly shampoo – they don’t contain all the artificial fragrances and chemicals found in regular shampoos. You can also put less waste into the landfills by buying larger recyclable bottles or even using a shampoo bar.
Here are some natural choices for squeaky-clean hair for those of you that can not go “no poo.”
-Bar shampoo. J.R. Liggett makes a vegetable-based shampoo bar that comes in varieties for sensitive skin, as well as for those with normal or damaged hair. These bars are free of detergents that strip the natural oils from the hair, and the packaging is minimal, which cuts down on cost and on waste, too. J.R. Liggett bar shampoo is a fine choice if you like the scents of lavender, rosemary, peppermint, or jojoba.
SEED also makes a shampoo bar created with grape seeds. This grape seed oil enriched shampoo bar also includes conditioning panthenol Pro-Vitamin B5 and fruit seed oils which are shown to moisturize and repair hair. I recently had the opportunity to try it out, and you can read my SEED review, to see what I thought.
-Nature’s Gate shampoo. It comes in fine/damaged, itchy/dandruff prone, and many other varieties. It contains only organically-produced oils, herbs and vitamins like gingerroot, sunflower seed oil, and kiwi fruit. Nature’s Gate puts absolutely NO sodium lauryl/laureth sulfates or other artificial ingredients in their shampoos. These are great if you like lemon, rose, or chamomile scents.
-Dr. Bronner’s Pure Castile soap- they work on your body AND your hair. You can also use them to wash your pet or clean many things in your home. These soaps are really an all-purpose cleaning solution. They’re certified organic, made under Fair Trade standards. Dr. Bronner’s soaps are vegetable-oil based, and completely biodegradable. You can buy them in large containers (cutting down on packaging waste), and if you like the smells of almond, eucalyptus, peppermint or rose, then these soaps are for you.
-Try Burt’s Bees Shampoo Bar. It’s best for those with medium or short hair, and the peppermint in the bar gives your scalp a cool tingle while the rosemary oil gives your hair luster. Burt’s Bees shampoo bars contain all-natural ingredients, like yucca and nettle leaf extracts, and avocado oil. They keep your hair clean without chemicals and the bar shape cuts down on unnecessary packaging.
You can have shiny, soft and clean hair without putting harmful chemicals on your skin and into the environment, by simply seeking eco-friendly personal care product companies.
Photo via flickr
